Categories: CricketIPL

IPL 2025: Riyan Parag To Captain Rajasthan Royals In First 3 Games

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Rajasthan Royals received a major setback just days before IPL 2025 begins. The 18th season of the popular cricket league will start on March 22 with Kolkata Knight Riders playing against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens.

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Big Setback for Rajasthan Royals Ahead of IPL 2025

RR will play their first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23, but Sanju Samson won’t be leading the team for the first three games. He is recovering from a finger injury and has passed on the captaincy to batter Riyan Parag for those matches.

The franchise mentioned that Samson has not yet received clearance to take up wicketkeeping and fielding duties. However, he will still play in all the matches as a specialist batter.

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“Sanju Samson, an integral part of the Royals set-up, will remain a key contributor with the bat till he gets cleared for wicket-keeping and fielding. He will return as captain once fully fit,” the franchise said in a statement.

Samson rejoined the squad recently after recovering from finger surgery, which he needed after injuring himself during India’s T20I series against England in February.

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Riyan Parag to Lead Rajasthan Royals in Initial Matches

Rajasthan Royals decided to make Riyan Parag the captain for the first few games, showing their trust in his leadership skills, which he’s proven as Assam’s domestic captain. Having been with the team for years, he understands the squad well. Announcing the big news, Sanju Samson said:

“I am not completely fit for the next three games. There are lot of leaders in this group. In the last few years, some great people have taken care of this environment really nicely. For the next three games, Riyan will lead the team.”

“He is capable of doing it. I expect everyone to support him and be with him,” he added.

RR’s first two home games will be at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on March 26 and March 30 against Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. After that, they will play their remaining home matches at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

The Royals, who won the first IPL title in 2008, reached the playoffs last year, finishing third on the points table. However, they were eliminated by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator and didn’t make it to the final.

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Unnati Madan

Unnati is a passionate cricket writer with a deep love and understanding of the game. As a female cricket writer, she brings a unique perspective to the sport, having had to overcome various challenges to pursue her passion for cricket. Growing up, Unnati developed a love for cricket by watching matches with her family. She was always fascinated by the way the game was played, and would often spend hours reading about cricket, analyzing matches, and learning more about the sport. However, as a female in a male-dominated industry, she faced numerous obstacles to pursue her passion for cricket writing. Despite this, Unnati persevered and became an accomplished writer in the field. Unnati’s writing style is engaging and insightful, with a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the nuances of the game. Her articles are known for their depth of analysis, and she is often sought after for her strong opinions on the sport. Unnati has a unique ability to break down complex ideas and make them accessible to a wide audience, which has helped her build a large following of readers.